...would amend regulations for connecting alternative energy sources to existing power grids and require utility companies to give credit for excess electricity produced by homeowners through a process known as net metering. As it stands, Missouri law does not accommodate the practice. ...

Sen. Joan Bray, D-St. Louis, said she chose to sponsor the bill because existing laws aren’t creating any incentive to use renewable energy.

“It’s a chicken-and-egg thing,” she said. “There aren’t a lot of people using it now, but if the law stays the same, there certainly won’t be many more.”

Net metering provides the best of both worlds for consumers who choose to invest in renewable energy technology: they have the security of grid connection, but are also compensated fully for excess power they produce that's fed into the grid. As such, it provides an incentive for investing in small-scale renewables. Furthermore, it prevents utility companies from discouraging installation of renewable systems.

If you're a Missouri resident that wants to support the Easy Connection Act, the organization Renew Missouri (which has already testified before the committee considering the bill) has information available on how to get involved. I'll certainly be writing to my own Senator Jeff Smith, whom I'm inclined to believe would support the bill. I hope others will, too -- it's about time Missouri caught up with Indiana, Michigan, and the rest of the 41 states (in PPT) that have implemented net metering laws.